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9.27.2011

A Nifty Thrifty Guest: How to Make a DIY Dog T-Shirt

It's Tuesday which means we all made it through Monday(give yourself a hand)! On Tuesdays at The Nifty-Thrifty Lady I have left the topic wide and open...oooh the possibilities. Today I have my first guest, Stephanie Reese or my middle sister! She has recently became the mother of a furry child and had a thrifty way to keep him warm as the weather changes. Enjoy and a big Thanks to Steph!

Hi there! Let me take a minute to introduce myself. My name is Stephanie Reese and I am Jen’s younger sister. My husband is in the Coast Guard (thus most of the crafts you will see from me are military related). We are currently living in Pensacola, Florida (located in the panhandle, like super close to Alabama) and we have two fur babies: Rango- a 5-month-old Australian Shepherd and Banditt- a 2.5-year-old cat. Okay enough about me, let’s get nifty!

Well in light of my sister’s blog, “The Nifty Thrifty Lady” I have noticed myself becoming thriftier in the things I do (I think I am a pretty nifty person to begin with). Jen asked me to provide her with the instructions to my recent nifty and thrifty project for her blog, so once a month I will be providing all you subscribers with a nifty and thrifty crafting project for the month!

The 23 September marked the beginning of Fall and the beginning of colder weather- if you live in the north east at least (it’s still like mid to high 80’s here in Florida)- so your pets may need a little extra coat while their winter coat is forming. Here you will find the directions on how to make a dog t-shirt from a human t-shirt! The steps are broken down so even a beginner can work on this. If you need any additional assistance please feel free to email me.. Get excited because your dog will be!!

Dog T-shirt

Step 1: Gather Materials:

You will need the following:

-Old T-shirt

-Scissors

-Sewing Tape Measure

-Sewing Machine or Needle and Thread (Fabric glue will work if you are more comfortable with that)

-Sharpie or marking pen

Step 2: Gather Measurements:

Using your sewing tape measure gather the dog’s dimensions just like you would with a human!

Around Dog’s Middle (Chest area):

Distance from Neck to Tail:

Distance from Neck to Mid-Stomach:

Shoulder to Elbow:

Step 3: Create Back of T-Shirt:

Place back side face up on a smooth working surface. Using your measurements for Distance from Neck to Tail, start at the center of the neckline and measure down.

IMPORTANT:remember to leave yourself ¼ to ½ inch extra on your dimensions or the hemlines!

Create a line going straight across the bottom of the t-shirt. Cut and discard the bottom portion of the t-shirt.

Step 4: Create Silhouette:

Using the Around Dog’s Middlemeasurement, mark a section at the bottom of the shirt that is half that number.

For example: Rango’s dimensions are 21 inches in diameter. I will divide that in half so 10.5 inches and then remember to add ¼ to ½ inch extra for the hemline. So I will mark a section centered at the bottom of the t-shirt 11 inches long.

From there draw out a curve that cuts through the arm pits and takes away a portion of the sleeve (more if the dogs legs are skinny, less if they are thicker). Do this on both sides. Cut where you marked.

Tip: it may be helpful to use a plate or a bowl to make your curve more uniformed, otherwise you can wing it!

Step 5: Create Front of T-Shirt:

Turn the shirt over to the “stomach side”. Use your Distance from Neck to Mid-Stomach measurements and mark out that length from the top of the t-shirt collar down. Remember extra for your hemline! Be sure to only cut the front side of the shirt this length.

I have two tips here for you-

1.If you have a little boy then I would suggest making the measurement slightly smaller just to make sure no accidents happen on the t-shirt.

2.If you would like to make a tuxedo style t-shirt (the flap in the back) then follow the directions to a “T”. However, if you would like to have a more smooth looking shirt then take the length from step 4 and divide it in half. So this case would be 5.5 inches. Measure that out at the center of the stomach side of the shirt and then create a curve from there the bottom of the t-shirt. This may be somewhat confusing but basically you are creating two “wings” on the side of the shirt so that the back of the shirt and the front of the shirt are connected and it lays more uniformed on the dog. PLEASE email me if you have any questions about this tip.

Step 6: Make Adjustments:

Use this time to make any adjustments. You can try it on the dog and make sure it will fit him/her, checking the lengths of the sleeves and the lengths on the stomach and the back.

Step 7: Sew:

Now comes the fabric glue or the sewing machine. Sew your hem on the bottoms of the stomach and the bottom of the back to have a neat appearance. Then sew the bottom of the sleeves, down the armpit on the right side. Repeat on the left side.

Step 8: Try on and Enjoy!

Try on your puppy and make sure everything fits alright. Remember, if it doesn’t, God created man for man to make seam rippers:)

This is such a great idea! When our family takes the leap to getting a dog we will be wearing these!

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